Clams
Seafood — purine content 171mg per 100g
High Purine
171
mg/100g
Usually left out during a flare, and kept to small amounts between flares.
Diet Advice
Clams are high in purines. Avoid during gout attacks. In remission, very small portions occasionally.
Recommended Preparation
Steamed with ginger or in light soups. Avoid rich broths.
Low Purine Alternatives
Data source: USDA FoodData Central; Kaneko K, Biol Pharm Bull 2014; Yang YX, China Food Composition Tables (6th ed.) 2019. Purine value: 171mg per 100g of Clams (High purine, red zone).
See the full purine food classification table for all 142 foods, or read the low purine diet guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Clams: is it high in purines?
Clams: 171mg of purines per 100g, above the 150mg/100g cut-off used on this site. High-purine foods are the ones most consistently linked to higher uric acid, so this is usually a small, occasional serving, and left out during a flare.
Can I eat Clams during a gout flare?
During a flare most guidance is to leave Clams out. At 171mg per 100g it sits well above the low-purine cut-off, and flares are when purine intake is kept lowest. Small amounts can return once symptoms settle.
What are the best low-purine alternatives to Clams?
Lower-purine options to use in place of Clams include: Cod. They offer comparable nutrition at a much lower purine content, which makes a balanced diet easier to hold together.